Large containers of this type which are designated as large cargo carriers typically have dimensions of 800×600 mm, 1200×800 mm, 1200×1000 mm, or 1200×1600 mm, which are standard sizes. The height of large cargo carriers of this type depends on the desired receiving capacity. A typical height above the contact surface of the large cargo carrier up to the upper edge of the side wall is 1000 mm. This defines the large container over other smaller containers, like e.g. fruit and vegetable containers or bottle crates and containers which can be stacked on pallets in multiple layers on top of one another and adjacent to one another. The large containers or large cargo carriers are used for receiving, in particular, bulk materials and are often used for transporting large volume products in the food industry, the non-food field, the industrial field and the auto industry. Large containers of this type are voluminous and have a greater material thickness as compared to the typical fruit and vegetable containers. Containers of this type are also thicker and heavier over all, so that transporting filled large containers can typically only be performed mechanically, in particular, by forklifts or machines.
In order to reduce the return shipment volume of such large containers typically used as reusable containers, the side walls are either foldable overall, only partially foldable, or foldable one by one, wherein the side walls can be locked together in a transport position. Locking devices of this type for containers of this type are known. Typically, locking devices of this type include engagement lugs that are configured at a side wall and engage a recess of an adjacent side wall or engage behind a locking bar of the adjacent side wall in a locking position, thus facilitating the locked transport position.
A container is known from DE 698 26 757 T2 which includes four circumferentially disposed side walls on a base, wherein the side walls are pivotably linked to the base and thus can be folded onto the base in order to reduce the transport volume when being shipped empty. In order to retrieve transported material when the side walls of the container are standing upright, a flap is provided in at least one side wall, wherein the flap is pivotably linked through a hinge with a lower side wall component and can be folded from the outside over the lower side wall component. In a folded position, in order to ensure that the side wall components folded on top of one another are essentially flush with the other side wall sections, the flap and also the side wall component disposed thereunder have wave profiles on their outsides which reach over one another in folded positions so that the folded down flap together with the lower side wall component onto which the flap is folded down has a thickness which is not thicker than the respective side wall. However, a flap mechanism for large containers is complex and, in particular, can be detrimental because the typical flap, which has to be pivoted outward and then downward, is more difficult to handle in view of the size of the side wall. The flap can be particularly detrimental in tight storage situations, since the flap has considerable weight in view of the size of the side wall. This can cause a problem for bulk material within the large container due to the substantial weight of the flap folding downward quickly against the efforts of the operator, so that loose bulk material can unintentionally fall out and become damaged.